The invention relates to analyte detection.
Lateral flow devices (LFDs) can be used outside the confines of a clinical or laboratory setting to detect the presence of various analytes in biological or other samples. Generally, these devices are simple, disposable, and self-contained. A common feature of LFDs is an absorbent sample application pad that draws the sample laterally, by capillary action, across one or more reagents that interact with the analyte (if it is present in the sample) and produce a measurable signal. The principle underlying LFDs is the same as that underlying other detection methods such as RIAs (radioimmunoassays) and ELISAs (enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays): the reagents in the LFD must specifically bind or otherwise interact with the analyte being tested.
Examples of absorptive-pad assay devices and methods are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,983,005, 4,069,017, 4,144,306, 4,366,241, and 5,354,692.